In the waterside pavilion, the Imperial Noble Concubine Wan Yuyao sat on the main seat. She looked peaceful and her beautiful eyebrows looked cool. Her proud face made her look so cold.

She turned her eyes subconsciously and then saw Concubine Xu and Concubine Yu not far from the pavilion. She smiled and raised her eyebrows,

"Are you visiting the garden today as well?"

She raised her wrist lightly and the pendant on her sleeve made a ding. Wan Yuyao signaled the eunuch to stop and drag the offending female slave to the corner of the screen.

Since they were unable to dodge anymore, the two concubines had to come forward to make a bow. To Concubine Xu's surprise, Gu Yunyao seemed so impatient and rushed forward into the pavilion.

Concubine Xu was puzzled, but followed Gu Yunyao to make a bow at the Imperial Noble Concubine.

"Your Grace, wish you all happiness and good luck."

"Fine. Sister Yu, you are pregnant, so you don't have to do that. Yuanjiao, you also sit down with Sister Yu together. The newly cooked milk tea is just right. Come and try it."

At this time, Wan Yuyao said with a smile in a gentle voice. Her easygoing appearance was very different from her previous harshness.

A eunuch put two cushions on two stone chairs. The two concubines thanked Wan Yuyao and both took their seats, each with a cup of steaming milk tea on hand.

The affairs in the Palace had always been capricious. Two concubines who fought with each other badly might laugh with each other when they met the next day.

Although the imperial harem was not the court, their inner rules were the same. There were no permanent enemies or friends but eternal interests.

Sipping the milk tea, the three women were chatting with each other. In the meantime, Gu Yunyao lowered her head several times. She seemingly enjoyed the cup of tea, but actually saw the girl in front of the screen with probing eyes, showing sadness on her face.

The female slave was kneeling with lowered head. She had just experienced the cruellest punishment and she was trembling and sobbing at this moment.

Before entering the Palace, Gu Yunyao had been tortured by chief maid Gu when she tried to run away, so she knew how painful it was to be pierced by a hairpin.

Gu Yunyao could guess from the convulsing figure of the female slave that she must feel so painful, but she did not dare to make any noise in front of the guests, lest she should be punished more harshly.

Soon, Gu Yunyao's abnormality was noticed by the Imperial Noble Concubine and Concubine Xu.

Wan Yuyao smiled deeply with fierce light flashing past her eyes. She took a sip of the milk tea and raised her eyes, smiling coldly,

"Sister Yu, the cold winter is gone and it's getting warmer now. It is great for you to go out for more times. It's good for the baby in your abdomen and also your future delivery."

"The Spring Banquet is coming. When His Majesty comes out, he will be pleased to see your glowing face during your pregnancy. "

Gu Yunyao's full attention was on the humble female slave in front of the screen and it seemed that she missed the words of the Imperial Noble Concubine.

Wan Yuyao's face stiffened, showing embarrassment.

Concubine Xu was worried about her Sister Yu secretly and when she saw that she was still in a daze, she could not help but whisper,

"Sister! Sister!"

Gu Yunyao finally returned to her senses and turned to look at Wan Yuyao awkwardly. She frowned and said lightly,

"I'm sorry for that, Your Grace. Please forgive me."

Unexpectedly, Wan Yuyao was quite generous, drinking the milk tea with a smile,

"It's okay. Pregnant women are all like that. I'm also a mother, so I can understand it."

She put down the cup, looking at Gu Yunyao who looked uneasy with her beautiful and shrewd eyes. Knowing what she was thinking, she still put on a surprised expression and asked with concern,

"Sister, what were you looking at just now?"

The Imperial Noble Concubine took the initiative to get to the topic. Gu Yunyao took a deep breath immediately and asked eagerly,

"Your Grace, is that kneeling female slave a newcomer? What mistakes did she make just now?"

Wan Yuyao raised her eyes to look at the female slave and at the same time she touched her hairpin on her bun casually. Her lips moved slightly with pride and ostentation. She then spoke slowly,

"It's really a coincidence. I love the food in Concubine Xu's Palace, but Tu Muxue was taken away by the Commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot. At that time, I was still worried that I couldn't eat her hand-made ice-dessert anymore. But then Ming Lan found Xier in the Garden, who could also cook well. But she was a little stupid and always forgot what I had told her."

Gu Yunyao was stunned when hearing it, her fingers under her wide fox-fur sleeves keeping trembling. She couldn't help looking at that female slave again.

Wan Yuyao laughed when she saw it,

"Sister, we haven't seen and chatted with each other for a long time. Why do you keep staring at a female slave?"

Gu Yunyao felt embarrassed for a while. She stood up from the chair slowly and made a bow,

"Your Grace, please forgive my discomposure."

"Sit down." Wan Yuyao smiled generously, "She's just a slave. If you like to see her, I'll call her over for you to have a careful look."

When she finished speaking, Lihu lifted her chin lightly behind her and shouted domineeringly,

"Xier, come here!"

When the girl heard this, her delicate body started to tremble. She stroked her bun with her little hand to tidy her messy hair, and then she crawled all the way to Wan Yuyao's feet in silence.

Wan Yuyao continued to taste the milk tea. Her exquisite finger stalls rubbed the edge of the cup, making a clear and cold sound,

"Let Concubine Yu see you."

"Yes, Your Grace."

The humble female slave responded, rubbing her knees to the ground under Gu Yunyao's seat. Her voice suddenly choked up,

"Your... Your Grace, it's Xier. Best wishes for Your Grace."

Silence reigned suddenly.

Gu Yunyao's body stiffened and trembled tightly and her heart sank quickly. Her inquiring eyes were fixed on the kneeling person and her lips were tightly pressed.

Under the gaze of the crowd, the girl unexpectedly raised her head and bravely met Gu Yunyao's watery eyes with her intent eyes. At that time, her eyes were brimming with shock and hope and she seemed to miss the person in front of her so much. Her lips were pressed sadly, showing her desire to pour out her troubles.

"How dare you!"

A sharp shout broke the silence.

Lihu took a few steps forward violently, swearing,

"How can you be so stupid and ignorant? How dare you peep at a master?"

She slapped the girl's face as her words was uttered.

"Wait!"

Gu Yunyao screamed and then turned to the main seat, begging the cold and noble woman,

"It is inevitable that a newcomer may make some mistakes when entering the Palace. Your Grace, I wanna to beg for your mercy on behalf of her. Please don't punish her anymore."

Wan Yuyao narrowed her beautiful eyes, smiling with strange coldness,

"Sister, it's so kind of you. How can’t I give you face? Okay, stop it."

Wan Yuyao then turned her eyes to the female slave and said sternly,

"I've taught you so many times but you just can't remember the rules. This time, Concubine Yu pleads for you. Thank her soon."

The female slave kowtowed again under Gu Yunyao's contemplative gaze and her voice sounded so aggrieved,

"Thank... Thank you, Concubine Yu..."

It seemed that she was on the verge of breakdown. The girl then couldn't stand it anymore and burst into tears at Gu Yunyao.

Gu Yunyao also felt so depressed and painful at the same moment with her eyes wet with tears.

The female slave's actions undoubtedly angered Wan Yuyao again. She put on a gloomy face and put the tea cup on the stone table hard with a big noise.

The chief maid Lihu instructed the eunuchs on both sides to step forward to press the girl to the ground again.

"Bitch, how can you cry in front of the master? Slap her!"

The eunuchs lifted their sleeves with ferocious eyes and acted unscrupulously in front of the three concubines.

Gu Yunyao looked at it blankly with no countermeasures. Her eyes turned wet and red and the sound of slaps and the terrible screams tore her heart apart.

Concubine Xu looked at her in surprise. She clearly noticed the aching grief on Gu Yunyao's lightly made-up face, becoming more puzzled then.

What was wrong with Sister Yu on earth?

She had been persecuted by Yongning Palace so many times and even the imperial harem privately discussed that this time Observatory Director's framing her for having a demon fetus was also plotted by Wan Yuyao.

As usual, Sister Yu should hate Yongning Palace the most. No matter how kind she was, she shouldn’t care about people in Yongning Palace, let alone cry for them!

Anyway, she was pregnant with the Emperor's baby, so she couldn’t worry too much at this time.

Thinking of this, Concubine Xu made a bow to Wan Yuyao and said in a low voice,

"Your Grace, this girl hasn't been in the Palace for long, so it's acceptable that she acts improperly in public. Just forgive her this time. What's more, we'll feel anxious when seeing it and we don't dare to stay here anymore in this way."

Wan Yuyao pouted her lips with hidden bitterness.

"Sister, what are you talking about? I'm just disciplining my own slave. I don't mean to turn you out of doors."

Gu Yunyao cleaned the corners of her eyes lightly with her handkerchief and hurriedly explained,

"Your Grace, don't blame Sister Xu please. She didn't mean it."

"Okay. Just forget it."

Wan Yuyao smiled brightly and waved her hands.

It became quiet immediately.

Wan Yuyao looked coldly down at the girl with a bloody nose and a swollen face. Her sparkling watery eyes overflowed with a venomous and playful color and then she smiled lightly,

"I didn't mean to treat you harshly. I just think you can act better! Hey, Xier, you must remember that in the deep palace, as a slave, no one will teach you everything in detail, and you have to learn everything by yourself. I beat you this time because I cherish you, otherwise you won't be enlightened."

The girl bowed to kowtow, trembling in a choked voice,

"Thank you for your cultivation, Your Grace."

With a long sigh, Wan Yuyao stretched out her hands to Lihu and stood up lazily by the help of her. She then gave a flick of her sleeves casually and looked at the two concubines.

"Let's call it a day, sisters. It's time for lunch, and I go back now."

"Goodbye, Your Grace."

The two concubines frowned and lowered their heads, watching the honor guards of Wan Yuyao walking out of the waterside pavilion.

At the end of the honor guards was Xier, who got into this unholy mess. Walking down the steps, she turned back over and over again, looking straight at Gu Yunyao who was in the pavilion. Tears covered her swollen face.

When the honor guards were gone, Concubine Xu turned around. Her confused eyes met Gu Yunyao's solemn face.

"It was so dangerous just now... Sister, what's the matter with you?"

"Sister…"

Gu Yunyao had a complete breakdown in her heart, shedding tears suddenly.

She fell into Concubine Xu's arms and cried out bitterly,

"Sister, Xier is just Yunxi! She is my sister who grew up in the Garden with me and have been missing for almost two years."

Concubine Xu was really shocked. She held Gu Yunyao's trembling body lightly, keeping silent for a while...